Suspension for electric railway-motors



No. 6l3,357. Patented Nov. I, I898.

w. 000mm. SUSPENSION FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAY MOTORS.

(Application filed Aug. 16, 1898.)

(No Model) /NVENTO/F A OHNE).

UNITED STATES ZATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM COOPER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN B. BLOOD AND JOSHUA HALE, OF NEWBURYPORT, MASSACHUSETTS.

SUSPENSION FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAY-MOTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,357, dated November 1, 1898.

Application filed August 16, 1898.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM COOPER, of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Suspensions for Electric. Railway-Motors, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to electric-railway vehicles, and more particularly to a new and improved means for supporting the motors thereon.

The usual type of electric motor for propelling railway-vehicles has a field-magnet constructed in the form of a hollow casing surrounding the armature. The armature-shaft is carried by suitable bearings in the magnetcasing, and extensions from the casing surround the driven axle and sleeve the motor thereon.

The usual type of motor is supported at its front endviz., the end most remote from the axle-by a cross-bar which is spring-supported from the truck, so as to cushion the motor and allow it a certain amount of motion independent of the motion of the truck. While this construction has been used to a large extent, it has the serious disadvantage of throwing considerable dead-weight on the axle, so that there is of necessity a constant straining of the parts and a constant pound upon the rail-joints, due to the fact that no matter how soft the cushion for the front end of the motor is one-half of the weight of the motor is upon the axle without any intervening cushion. Attempts have been made to overcome this difficulty by having a jointed arrangement of the motor-casing and its connections with the driven axle, so as to allow a double movement of the same, and providing cushioning-springs over the axle; but this is only a palliation of the difficulty and necessitates an annoying complication of parts.

It is the particular object of my invention to design a simple and durable suspension in which the field-magnet may be sleeved upon the axle, so as to obtain all the advantage of maintaining the driving and driven gears in mesh no matter how much the motor moves upon its cushioning-springs and at the same Serial No. 688,671. (No model.)

time relieve the driven axle from any part of the weight of the motor, so that the motor will not act to pound the rail-joints and at the same time Will not be racked and strained by vertical movements of the axle.

With this object in view and with other minor objects to be set forth hereinafter my invention consists in providing a motor-supporting frame which upholds the motor-casing at a point between the center of gravity of the motor and the driven axle.

It also consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts of my improved spring-supported frame and connections.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan view, of such portions of an electric-car truck and its propelling-motors as are sufficient to show my improved motor suspension.

In the drawings, A represents the side bars of the truck, B represents one of the driven axles,and 0 represents the motor-casing, composed of the upper shell O and the lower shell 0 Within this casing revolves the armature on the shaft E. The armature drives the driven axle by means of meshing gears within the gear-casing 0 0 represents extensions from the casing O, which extensions surround the axle B and center the motor thereon.-

D and D represent cross-bars, which may be mounted rigidly upon the side bars A in any suitable manner. Secured to cross-bars D are two vertical standards F, to the top of which the motor-suspension bars G are pivoted at their ends to a transverse pivot f.

Secured to cross-bars D and D in any suitable manner are the cylinder-supports H, upon which are mounted the cylinders I, inclosing springs J and J and having a passage for the motor-sustaining bars G. The springs J and J engage, respectively, the top and bottom of the bar G at a suitable point intermediate its ends.

At each side of the motor-casing are the lugs K, having a slot adapted to receive the ends of the motorsustaining bars. The

height of the slot proper is somewhatmore than the width of the bars; but at the axle end of the slot adownwardly-projecting knob is formed, which is engaged by the motorsustaining bar G, so that the knobs at opposite sides of the casi n g form the points of support thereof. The knobs 7c are located between the center of gravity of the motor and the driven axle, the line upon which the motor is supported being indicated by the dotted line 00 0c of Fig. 2. There is therefore no part of the dead-weight of the motor resting upon the axle B, but, on the contrary, the axle prevents its end of the motor from risinginstead of preventing falling, as is usual in most motor suspensions.

It will be seen that the motor-sustaining bars are fulerumed at their ends to the truck and are sustained by the springs J and J, so that the motor is capable of considerable upward and downward movement independent of the movement of the truck, while the weight of the motor is thoroughly cushioned, so that it will not receive injurious shocks or strains, and as there is no dead-weight thrown upon the driven axle there can be no pounding upon the track-joints.

I do not desire to limit myself to the specific construction which I have shown and described to illustrate my invention, for many modifications may be made therein without departing outside the broad scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

1. A motor sleeved to the driven axle in combination with a pair of supports therefor engaging the sides of the motor at points located between the driven axle and the center of gravity of the motor.

2. A motor sleeved to the driven axle in combination with a pair of flexibly-supported side bars engaging and supporting the motor at points located between the driven axle and the center of gravity of the motor.

3. The combination of the motor-casin g having extensions sleeved 011 the driven axle, a motor-supporting frame secured to the truck, and a pair of cushioned side bars forming part of said frame, said bars engaging and supporting the casing at points between the driven axle and the center of gravity of the motor.

4. The combination with the motor-casing sleeved to the driven axle, the slotted lugs on the side of the casing, and the downwardlyprojecting knobs in said lugs, of the supporting-bars entering said slots and engaging said knobs.

5. The combination with the motor-casing sleeved to the driven axle, the slotted lugs on the sides of said casing, and the downwardlyprojecting knobs in said lugs located between the driven axle and the center of gravity of the motor, of the supporting-bars entering said slots and engaging said knobs.

6. The combination with the motor-casing sleeved to the driven axle, the slotted lugs on the sides of the casing, and the downwardlyprojecting knobs in said lugs, of a frame secured to the vehicle having a pair of flexiblysupported bars entering said slots and engaging said knobs.

7. The combination with the motor-easing sleeved to the driven axle, the slotted lugs on the sides of the casing and the downwardlyprojecting knobs in said lugs located between the driven axle and the center of gravity of the motor, of a frame secured to the vehicle having a pair of flexibly-supported bars entering said slots and engaging said knobs.

8. A motor-casin g having knobs located between the driven axle and the center of gravity of the motor, in combination with a pair of cushioned side bars engaging said knobs and supporting said motor.

9. The combination of the motor-easing, extensions therefrom sleeved to the driven axle, slotted side lugs on said casing, a pair ofside bars fulerumed at one end to the vehicle and at the other end entering the slotted lugs and springs engaging the top and bottom of each of said side bars intermediate its ends.

10. The combination of the motor-casing, extensions therefrom sleeved to the driven axle, slotted side lugs at the center of the sides of said casing, a downwardly-projecting knob at the axle end of each side lug, and a pair of supporting-bars entering the slotted lugs and supporting the motorby engagement with the said knobs.

11. The combination of the sides of the motor-casing, extensions therefrom sleeved to the driven axle, slotted side lugs at the center of the sides of said casing, a downwardly-projecting knob at the axle end of each side lug, a pair of side bars fulerumed at one end to the vehicle and at the other end entering the slotted lugs, and engaging said knobs, and springs engaging the top and bottom of each side barintermediate its ends.

12. A frame for supporting electric railwaymotors comprising the combination of a pair of cross-bars secured to the truck, vertical standards secured thereto, longitudinal bars fulerumed at their ends to said standards, a spring-support intermediate the ends of each longitudinal bar, and a pair of springs carried by said spring-support and engaging the top and bottom of the longitudinal bar.

13. A frame for supporting electric railwaymotors comprising the combination of crossbars D and D secured to the truck, cylinder supports H and H secured to the cross-bars, slotted cylinders I, springs J and J therein, vertical standards F, and longitudinal bars fulerumed to said standards and extending through said slotted cylinders.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM COOPER.

\Vitnesses:

MoRIsoN R. WAITE, O. A. SCHRODER. 

